Chapter 55: The Gray Training Ground

Chapter 55: The Gray Training Ground

Karyl stepped deeper into the Gray Training Ground, feeling a slight headache as he felt the oxygen levels diminish. He cracked his neck, trying to relieve the inexplicable heaviness that weighed him down as if he were walking on the bottom of the deep sea.

I feel a bit sluggish, he thought, not due to the difficulty but from a sense of lethargy. Shaking off the unpleasant sensation, he descended the stairs.

It felt familiar to him. It was only then that Karyl realized what filled the Gray Training Ground. It was something indescribable.

I see. It feels like I'm inside a tower.

After the descent of the Oracles, a tower appeared out of thin air, vast enough to be seen from anywhere on the continent. It had been his means of traveling to the past, but also the source of despair for humanity.

It can't be, he thought. The tower, named Pharel, had unleashed countless monsters upon the world.

Humanity was caught off guard by the sudden appearance of these creatures. If it weren't for Narh Di Maug and the other races, humanity might have gone extinct.

Of course, Karyl had climbed that terrifying tower as well. The sensations he had tried to forget, or rather, had deliberately tried to ignore, resurfaced, making him rub his arm where goosebumps had unknowingly formed. NewW novels updates at novelhall.com

But this feels different. Almost imperfect. It definitely feels lighter than the atmosphere inside of Pharel. The oppressive weight felt somewhat lighter, a very subtle difference.

After the descent of the Oracles and the opening of the dimensional gates, monsters poured into the continent. They were referred to as the Tarak. A darkness denser than shadow had consumed the continent and devoured humanity. This dark power was also the source of the monsters of unknown origin. But Karyl remembered clearly. Each time he severed the necks of those creatures, he felt a chilling sensation.

It feels exactly the same.

He swirled his hand through the air, feeling a faint discomfort, it was as if he was stirring water, though there was nothing but air around him.

The descent of the Oracles has yet to happen... To think something like the Tarak exists now...

The existing mages were unable to wield the magic that the Assembly of Seven Elders had once used. Karyl began to wonder if the Original Magic left behind by the elders might hold the key to Tarak.

Maybe It's worth checking out, Karyl thought. He had found another reason to explore this place. If this is indeed similar to the Tarak...

In his previous life, when Narh Di Maug explored the Gray Training Ground, Karyl had assisted him. But back then, it had been different. He hadn’t felt this sensation before. Had someone else attempted to explore this place before him and Narh Di Maug?

Unanswered questions filled his mind when a heavy thudding sound emerged from the darkness. Karyl recognized the sound from his memories. He slowly closed his eyes and moved his hand through the darkness as if caressing the air.

Whether I am right or wrong, I'll have to find out.

Suddenly, Karyl grasped something, clenched his fist tightly, and struck downward. A sharp scream echoed as his hand was repelled, dark smoke rising as if it were burning.

"Hmph," he scoffed. While ordinary people might have recoiled in shock, Karyl, undeterred by the loud explosion, reached further into the darkness.

He wasn’t afraid of the flame. He knew the dark smoke wrapping around his arm was just an illusion.

Illusions. They were the deception the Tarak used most effectively. Flames now wrapped around his arm, creeping up to his shoulder and eventually engulfing his entire body. Amidst indistinguishable screams of pain and roars, Karyl pulled with all his might.

It was something viscous. Like the feeling of pulling something out of the water, it followed his arm and burst out.

Not being at a high enough class to cast protective magic, Karyl intended to wrap his whole body in pure mana instead.

Can I do it? As he focused his power, mana began to flow from his center of the body through two of his open meridians.

The Bracelet of Greed, sensing the mana of the blocked meridians, emitted a faint light and devoured the mana.

Shit! This wasn't the first time his attempt had failed. Karyl furrowed his brows and gathered the scattered mana once more.

The monster before him wasn't dumb enough to let him be. It launched another attack, forcing Karyl to retreat hastily. The situation grew even more challenging.

"Rrrgh!" Karyl grimaced.

Unexpectedly, the sudden movement of his body loosened the overly concentrated mana, enveloping his entire body with just the right amount.

It worked! It was only due to extremely fortunate timing, but Karyl still rejoiced.

It was but a moment, yet he didn't miss the movement of the Tarak's heart. It wasn't just about striking the heart. The heart, which had been pulsating violently, swelled noticeably.

Not yet. I need to wait for the third expansion phase. He needed to stab the heart with the perfect timing. Piercing its defenses was difficult, but simply impaling it wasn't the end. This hunting method was discovered at the cost of tens of thousands of soldiers.

At certain intervals, the Tarak's rampaging heart would harden, referred to as "phases." Simply stabbing the heart while it was beating would make the poison within the creature's body explode. The first appearance of the Tarak had annihilated the Empire's First Legion in a single blast.

Now, onto the second phase.

The creature that had been relentlessly attacking him disappeared all of a sudden. its presence eluding Karyl. However, he positioned himself as if he had been anticipating its movements.

Mist Breath. It was one of the Tarak's techniques.

With a mighty swing, Karyl’s dagger sliced through the air. The aura blade, infused with his mana, glistened in the darkness. Though the fog was impenetrable, he felt an impact against the blade of Agnel accompanied by a piercing screech. This method, used by his Father— The Sword Master Kuwell, consumed an immense amount of mana, but for Karyl, it wasn't a problem.

With a resounding crash, Agnel's blade dispersed the fog with a gust of cutting wind. The resulting explosion distorted space, bathing the surroundings in a brilliant white light. Before the third attack could come, Karyl's sword plunged into the Tarak’s heart. The hardened heart fell to the ground with a thud. The Tarak’s crushed body instinctively tried to regenerate, but without its heart, the process failed.

Without a moment's hesitation, Karyl thrust his dagger into the heart of the fallen creature. It trembled for a bit, before disintegrating into ash and scattering into the wind.

"Phew." Only then did he seem to relax.

Karyl let out a faint sigh and sat down on the floor. As the Tarak disappeared, the darkness that had enshrouded him dissipated as well. It was as if it had never been there.

I’ve barely entered, and I'm already worried about what lies ahead...

He had confidently claimed he could conquer the Gray Training Ground in just two days—a statement he was beginning to regret, given his memories of the place.

Karyl chuckled as he leaned against the corridor wall. Resting in the very battlefield he had just fought on might seem absurd to others, but managing his stamina was crucial, especially when facing unpredictable situations alone.

All of a sudden, a faint light emanated from Agnel that was still lodged in the Tarak’s heart.

“Huh?”